This show has always fascinated me b/c of the unbalanced second setlist in the extra large stadium where I saw all the other notable performances save this one. There was also that rumor that the show was cut short b/c Jerry got pissed at a cop for telling him to put out a joint backstage. With Willie Nelson backstage also (and one would have to assume, the handful of Hell's Angels that inevitably show up at his shows), I wonder if this story is apocryphal. I always found the first set soundboard to be almost unlistenable and its presence on the matrix version brings it down, I think. This recording starts rough, as probably does the house mix, but improves greatly. It really brings you there. It has some natural echo but it becomes very clear and you get that outdoor show rolling of the bass lines through the air that is hard to come across on the soundboard. The audience chatter is fantastic too. I feel I can see their friend in the yellow shirt in section 109 as they're searching for them. Look, there he is. No, never mind. That was an illusion. Can I also shout out the comments for this show? The memories are all quite eloquent.

good love through eyes is awesome. there was no second encore as someone is stating. it took me at least a half an hour to gather my wits to vacate and there was no sign of the dead. another song or set would have been fine by me that day though. i believe there was a curfew, as there were no jerry tunes after drums and he was on fire.

it was fairly obvious the band was just waiting to catch their flight to egypt.there was definite energy that broiling day but it was limited.stedbrty or whatever you really do not get IT if you say 1976 was weak.you need to stop critiqueing every note played and just dig what is there,even '83 '84 there was real hot music being laid down,i just think you did not get it because you were to busy looking for perfection.

Reviewer: komodoo - - September 11, 2008
Subject: Great Show but missing second surprise encore... What a Shame! <<< lies saturday night was the last tune played....
and a cat did fall to his death that day...
it was one smokin show in the backin sun....
eyes was a highlight for sure... and if you think jerry was losin it look for highgate vermont 94 and play standin on the moon... jerry Had it til the day he died and beyond....

It's a real shame that no one remembers the second encore where after continued yelling and when tapers started breaking down and packing gear the Dead burst out back onto the stage for a second encore. I understand that it was a long day and no tapers wanted to bother catching the surprise 2nd encore... but what a shame!

The song was "Shakedown Street" promoting their new album of the same name with an initial release on November 15, 1978 with new label. What really made it special was the fact that The New Riders of the Purple Sage - (the opening band) joined the Dead on stage in closing the show just before their trip to Egypt in a few days.
Wow..., that a long strange trip it was.

I really wish someone can upload the missing second encore song and complete the show.

I remember getting all the way up to the front and seeing the band for the first time. Donna was wearing black sunglasses. Frisbees were everywhere and one came very close or plain hit her!~ That I DO recollect.
I do remember hearing a story about people falling during or after the show...it put a damper on things. I know alot of people were tripping.
Being that I was only 15, what impressed me was seeing all the people at the show:
Old Hippies and Cosmic Charlies shooting junk, passed out,in what appeared to be a a mire of puke near the end zone on the opposite side from where the band was playing.
"Half Moons" seemed to be all around, along with Nitrous whippits and balloons.
Getting turned on a smoking up near the front of the stage with really nice people just groovin and enjoying the show.
After the show I hitched a ride with two Tennessee Jeds in an old '64 or '65 Impala. It seemed like forever to get out of the area. They had blonde hair down to their hips and yes, they were from Tennessee!~
`This was my first show. For the next 10 years I would go to shows. Little did I know, what a long, strange trip it was going to be.

That is John Schear - East Coast Promotion guy - not Bill Graham introducing them.

We hung outside the gate to Giant Stadium the night before. I don't remember anybody sleeping. It was like a marathon party... til the sun came up. We all move inside, parked and fell out for awhile.

I remember getting tired of the crazy all night gate people, and wandering the lot and stadium alone in an exhausted stupor before the Dead came on. I waded out onto the floor and stumbled across some good friends from home just as Bill Gram introduced the band and declared that "we are all exactly where we want to be"... weired and perfect.

This was my second show. I wanted to stow away in an equipment trunk when the Bobby announced that the next stop was going to be Egypt!

This was my second or third show, and I do remember someone falling and dying. It put a damper of the show when we found out about it in the parking lot afterwards. It was a long day, opening with Willie Nelson, then NRPS, in that order I think. All I remember about the show was the echo, if you put your head up high enough. It was annoying. But listening now to the show, particularly Eyes and it's clear they're still in their prime.
Except for Jerry's vocals. I can't believe I'm the only one who hears him struggling.
He whispers at times I think because he can't make the note. And he's flat on Jack Straw, or his range seems to have disappeared all together.

A really, nice show that exemplifies so much of what's underappreciated about 1978.
Just listen to the Eyes. Garcia's sly, carefree,
jaunty, easygoing solos carefully countered by Weir's cowboy-jazz licks and Lesh's thoughtful,arch base lines framing it all.
You listen to this stuff and once again life is
like a song again!

This is actually a pretty good audience recording. Sounds about as good as it could in the concrete monstrosity of Giant's Stadium. It's only the first song that difficult to hear - after that the taper raised his levels and it sounds fine. One thing I've learned is never judge an audience tape by the first song. You have to give the taper a chance to get everything dialed in. It often takes the band a while to get the sound system squared away as well.
And I have no idea what stebreatty is talking about. This is a great show and as far I'm concerned they didn't put on a single poor performance '78. Those didn't start until '83 - '84 and '92 - '95. Steve Rolfe is a master taper and these Sony mics always sound great to my ears. They might even be my favorite out of all the different mics I've heard. If you like auds then grab this one - you won't be sorry.

Wow.... over 28 years ago.... remember parts of it like yesterday..... not the best show of the latter Keith years [agree that Egypt was probably on their minds], but had some moments.... the jam after Scarlet for one.... but the highligts for me, however, were seeing friends from high school I hadn't seen in a couple years, and friends from college I'd be seeing again in a couple weeks.... lost my tape of this a lot of years ago so happy to be able to hear it again.... and smiling at the memories of friends gone missing :)

Ten bucks got me NRPS, Willie Nelson and the good ole Grateful Dead! I totally tripped balls that day, and worked ny way down to the field to dance my ass off to the 2nd set, I had this shit-eatin' grin on my face when I went back to school on Monday, but so did all my friends who were there, and life with the Dead was begun for me...should of bought the one-eyed skull shirt from that tour, it was so gnarly!!! Still can't believe that was almost 30 years ago, damn!!!
Rock On!!!

this swow has smokin versions of eyes, jackstraw, f.o.t.devil, staggerlee, even goodlovin. my alltime favorite version of scarlet(even if jerry forgets a verse, he makes up for it during the solo.

Its all relative folks-ying/yang. Jerry had no emotion, as shown by his poker face. The boys were boring, uninspired, ala '76. 04, '05. [Sh]it happens to the best of 'em. Tedious 1st set. Wasted my choco.mesc. Perhaps they had merely 1 eye on Egypt instead? Get yer kicks on routes '66-2/71, '79, & '80. In all fairness, I have never wanted to even listen to the tapes.

Due to the non-editing of this tape, it feels like an actual Dead show. Performance wise the Dead are great, performing such classics as Jack Straw, Freind of the Devil, New Minglewood Blues, Fire on the Moutain, and Sugar Magnolia, among others.

while this sounds like a low gen and thats good there is no editing between songs and long empty periods which dont need to be there. in addition this is not an exceptional show - pretty run of the mill. a rarity to be sure this is a true audience tape and doubt if stands were even used you can barely hear the band at times.

Fantastic Show all around. Scarlet Fire is the Highlight... PEAKING